Paper-box-forming machine.



E. E. JOHNSON.

PAPER BOX FORMING MACHINE.

APPucATwN HLED DEC.1, 1916.

1,287,032. Patented 116111111918.

E. E. JOHNSON.

PAPER Box FORMING MACHINE.

APPLICATlON 4FILED DEC. 1| 196. 1,287,932. Patented Dec. 10, 1918.

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PAPER BOX FORMING MACHINE.

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PAPER BOX FORMING MACHINE.

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PAPEn-BoX-FORMING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 10, 1918.

Application led December 1, 1916. Serial'No. 134,476.

To (rtl whom t may concern.'

le it known that I, EDWARD JOHNSON, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at St. laul, in the county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Paper-Box- Forming Machines, of which the following is a specification.

M v invention relates to box-forming machines and has for its object to provide a machine which automatically forms or sets up boxes out of blanks which have been `previously creased and cut. Ordinarily such boxes are set up from the blanks by hand. Boxes formed or'set up by lmy machine are more regular and permanent than those hand-folded from the same blanks, and can be produced much more cheaply.

In carrying out my invention I provide a form box over which the blank is placed and into which it is forced and partially formed by a corresponding plunger block. The plunger is then removed andthe ends of the blank are rolled over into the box to tightlyy engage the bottom, thus holding the box together.

The embodiment of my invention shown comprises a machine adapted to be operated by a foot treadle. This construction conveniently operates the mechanism for forming. folding, setting up and ejecting the box; but it is obvious that the mechanism might equally well be operated by suitable power-driven means. I do not, therefore, limit myself to the precise details of construction or operation herein shown and described.

The full objects and advantages of my invention will appear in connection with the detailed description thereof and are particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, illustrating the application of my invention in one form,-d

Figure 1 is a plan view of my invention with the parts in their normal positions with no blanks in the machine. Fig. 2 is a front elevational view of the same machine with blanks piled upon the table ready for insertion into the` machine. Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the machine with the parts arranged as shown in Fig. 1. Figs. Jr. 5 and 6 are views similar to Fig. 2 with some of the parts inaltered positions. Fig. is a developed view of one of the blanks usedffor forming the boxes. Figs. 8 and 9 are plan views of a portion of the machine including one of the mold boxes and showing a blank in different stages of formation.`

Fig. lO'is a sectional view through one of the mold boxes taken on line 10-10 of Fig. 1 and vshowing a box after the first step in its formation has been completed.'

Figs. 11,12-and 13 are views similar to Fig. 10 showing the box in the variousstages of the yinal step in completing the same.

Fig. 14 is a sectional view of some of the parts of the machine taken on line 14e-14 of Fig. l. Fig. 15 is a sectional view taken through the center of a completed box. Fig. 16 1s a sectional detail of a portion of the form box.

The blanks used in the formation of boxes with my machine are of an old form and are clearly shown in Fig. 7. A back 10 is integral with four side portions 1-1, 12, 13 and 14 of which the sides 11 and 13 are provided with ears 15 and 16, and the sides 12 and 14 are provided with doubled portions 17 and 18 and with lips 20 and 19. These blanks are procured creased on the dotted lines and cut on the full lines, as clearlyv my machine comprise a tubular standard 23 provided at its lower end with a base 24 and at its upper end with a supporting casting 25 upon which rests a table 26. To these members are attached the various parts which form my machine and which will now be described.

As illustrated in the drawings, the machine is designed to form both the tops and the bottoms of the boxes simultaneously, and the blanks for these are shown piled in two heaps 27 and 28 at the free ends of the table 26 in Fig. 2. As the devices for forming both the tops and bottoms are identical except as to relative size, the detailed description of but one will be given.

The form box 29, as best shown in Figs.

1, 2, 3, 10 and 14 comprises four casting sections 31, 32, 33 and 34. The sections 31 and 33 have walls 36 with vertical inside face portions, and the sections 32' and 34 have corresponding walls 35 with similar Vertical face portions. These wall portions are rectangularly arranged and extend through a rectangular aperture 37 in a table 26 on each side of the separating standard 23. The separate castings 31, 32, 33 and34` are adj ustably secured to the table 26 wlth the portions 35 and 36 extending through vaperture 37 by means of bolts 38 passing through bracket portions 39 and 49 of said members so that the members may be independently adjusted to move the faces thereof toward or from one another. Preferably the inner surfaces of said wall members will be made frictional in character by. either nurling or roughening the surfaces themselves or lining the same with some material such as felt, ru ber, sandpaper, or the like, as indicated at 151 in Fig. 10. The upper edges of the members 35 are at a higher level than the upper edges of members 36, are of considerable thickness and are curved smoothly inward as indicated at 35, forming a cam surface for engaging the box blanks as hereinafter pointed out. Above the upper edges of wall members 36 are located shafts 54 and 55, part of whose functions will be later pointed out, but which also operate in a manner similar to the curved edges of members 35 to receive and guide the blank as it is operated upon. The shafts 55 in effect form continuations of the walls 36 and the plane passing through the tops of the shafts also passes through the tops of the edges of members 35. These four curved edges operate upon the blank when the same is pressed inward, as hereinafter described, gradually to bend the box blank walls during its descent into the form box.

The floor of form box 29 comprises a member 41 secured to a stem or vertical rod 42 which can be slid vertically within a guide boss 62 on a bracket 43 bolted to the under side of table26. Floor 41 is normally held positioned with its upper surface in the plane of the upper edges of the walls of the form box by a spring 98 surrounding stem 42 between a collar 99 fast on said stem and an arm 77 hereafter to be described, said spring forcing the collar 99 into engagement with boss 62, so that the floor is in a position to cooperate with the face of a plunger 44 in gripping a blank to be operated upon by said coperating members.

Adjacent the corners of the form box are members 45 and 46 substantially in alinement with the portions 35 of the members 32 and 34. These members project above the plane of the top edges of the form box and are provided with cam surfaces inclining upwardly from said) plane as indicated at 48 and 49, and horizontal surfaces in a common plane extending to stops 50. These horizontal surfaces provide a rest forA the blanks, andthe stops 50 enter the inside corners of the blank and hold it properly positioned for operation with the back 10 directly over the center of the opening in the form box, as clearly shown in Fig. 8. It will be apparent that the ears 15-15 and 16-16 of the blank rest upon projections 45 and 46, so that when the plunger 44 is caused to descend and engage the back 10 of the blank, said back and the portions 17, 18, 19 and 20 attached thereto are caused to descend without deflection with it, while ears 15-15 and 16-16 engage and are turned upwardly by the cams 48 and 49. The ears 15-15 and 16-16, engaged by the cams 48 and 49 of projections 45 and 46, are bent upwardly toward each other before the sides 11, 12, 13 and 14 of the blank engage the top edges 35 and 5415L and 55aL of the form box. When this occurs the face of the plunger 44 has gripped the back 10 of the blank against the floor 41 and the pairs of ears 15-15 and 16--16 are turned inwardly over the sides 12 and 14 as shown in Fig. 9 by the continued downward movement of the plunger 44, during which, engagement of the side flaps 11, 12, 13 and 14 of the blank with the upper edges of theI mold box folds said walls inwardly and at right angles to the bottom 10, as shown in Fig. 10, with the extended portions 17, 20 and 18, 19 projecting above. It is to be noted that the plunger head is rectangular in cross section with walls corresponding to those of the form box, and when the latter are in adjusted position spaced therefrom just suiiicient to permit the flaps of the paper box to be positioned between the plunger walls and the form box. To enable ready removal of the plunger 44 from the form box the faces of said plunger are provided with slots or grooves 51 so that the air may quickly fill in the space within the folded paper box as the plunger 44 is withdrawn.

The paper box is completely formed by folding` inward the extended portions 17 and 18 of the blanks and setting the lips 19 and 20 thereon horizontally upon the bottom of the box, as shown in Fig. 15. Preferably carried by the projections 45 and 46 at the corners of the form box are bosses 52 and 53 in which are journaled shafts 54 and 55, respectively. Shafts 54 and 55 are located in close proximity to the inner faces of sides 36 'and are provided with broad lingers or folders 56 and 57 almost as .wide as the sides 12 and 14 of the blanks. These fingers or plates may be brazed into suitable slots in said shafts and extend out radially from said shafts at 58 for a short distance, and are bent obliquely therefrom and terminate in foot portions 59. In the normal position and while the first operation upon the blanks is taking place, fingers 56 and 57 remain out of the way of the blank as shown in Figs. 1 and 10. It will be noted in Fig. 10 that upon the completion of the first operation, plunger 44 is not entirely withdrawn free fromthe lips 19 and 20 but comes somewhat below the top edge of the same. As shafts 54 @and 55 are rotated in the proper direction, fingers 56 and 57 approach each other and engage the doubled portions 17 and 18 of the blanks, as shown 1n Fig. 1l, and in forcing the same past the block 44 cause the lips 19 and 20 to be bent at the creases made for that purpose. Further rotation of shafts 54 and 55 finally turns portions 17 and `18 of the blank inward and presses the lips 19 and 20 of the blank, by means of the feet 59, snugly against the back 10, thus holdingthe box together as shown in Fig. 13. It is important that sides 17 and 18, when folded over ears 15-15 and 16-16, should be jammed tight endwise between sides 11 and 13, which are then in final fixed position. The side faces 35 of the form box are therefore placed so as to back up these sides firmly while the folding-in 1s being done. tightness to a hand-folded box. It-will be noted that the portions of the fingers at 60 are made curved so that as the portions 58 of said fingers engage the blank to double over the portions 17 and 18 the curved portions cause a rolling or wiping movement over said fold so that the fold is tightly and firmly made. At the same time the table 41 is permitted to travel downward for a short distance against the action of a stiff compression spring 61 seated between the boss 62 on the bracket 43 and a similar boss 63 on the table 41, thus facilitating said last-named finishing step by maintaining a steady pressure on the lnclosed and folded blank without crushing it.

The devices for producing the movements cf the parts forming the boxes are shown most clearly in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 14and will now be explained in detail. Box-shaped plungersv 44 of both form boxes 29 and 30 are each attached to one end of a transverse bar 64 by means of bolts 65. Bar 64 is rigidly secured to an upright slide 66 of channel cross-section which is slidably mounted in a bracket 67 and is held in place in said bracket by a pair of guides 68 and 69 covering only a portion of the back o-f said slide and providing grooves 70 on the sides of the bracket 67 through which the bar64 extends and along which said bar may travel together with the upright 66. Slide 66 is placed in alinement with the center of the tubular standard 23 and extends for a distance through an opening 71'in the table 26 into said tube. Slide 66, with the pungers 44 attached thereto, is normally held raised A boxso set up is much superior in' by means of a U-shaped leaf-spring 72 engaging the uppermost portion of said slide and extending backward from the machine and secured to theJ table 2.6 at 7 3. When the plungers 44 are forced into the form boxes 29 and 30 the spring 72 is distorted, and when the plungers and slide 66 are released the spring 72 quickly restores the same to initial position. To retard the return motion of the slide 66 when the same approaches its upper limit, a cushioning appllance is provided which embodies a stiff spring 74 mounted upon a standard 75 secured to the table top 26, said spring engaging the portion of spring 72 adjacent the slide 66 only when said slide approaches its extreme raised position. Jar and injurv to the machine is hence prevented. l

Upon the exterior of the tubular standard 23 is slidably mounted a casting comprising a cylindrical portion 76 and three spokes 77, 78 and 79 extending radially from the .top of said cylinder. Tubular support 23 is provided with a longitudinal slot 80 at the front thereof through which p-asses a short bar 81 bolted to spoke 78 on cylinder 76. Cylinder 76 is normally held in a raised position by a long compression coil spring 82 within said tube 23, seated against the base 24 and against the bar 81,- as best shown in Fig. 14. Cylinder 76 is lowered by means of a pair of links 83 and 84 pivotally attached to it and to a forked foot lever 85. Lever 85 is pivoted at 86 to an oscillating stand 87 journaled in a bearing 88 integral with the base 24 and is provided with a pedal 89. Downward motion of lever 85 hence draws down the casting 76 against the action of the spring 82 between the limits of the lever shown in full and dotted lines in Fig. 3.

The manner of forcing down the plunger LHis best shown in Fig. 14. Upright slide 66 is provided with an aperture 90 at its lower end which may be engaged by a hook 91 pivote'd at 93 in a recessed portion 92 of the bar 81. As the lever 85 is pressed downward the upright 66, by means of the hook 91, also travels downward and the blocks v44 are forced into the form boxes 29 and 30. Integral with hook 91 and extending rearwardly from it is an arm 94 having a cam surface 95. In the path of travel of arm 94 is attached to the inner wall of tube 23 a cam 96 having a cam surface 97. This latter cam is so located that when the plungers 44 reach the downward end of their stroke the arm 94 shall be engaged by it to throw the hook 91 out of engagement with the aperture 90 to release upright 66 and permit the withdrawal of the plunger from the form boxes.

The stems 42 which support the floors 41 in the form boxes 29 and 30 pass through -the spokes 77 and 79 on the cylinder 76, al-

lowing said cylinder to slide vertically along tube 23 and said rods. Floors 41 are held in a raised position by means of compression coil springs 98 on said rods, seated between spokes 77 and 79 and collars 99 .fast on said rods. It will be noted that collars 99 abut against the bosses 62 in their normal positions and so terminate the upward movement of the fioors 41. In the normal position, as shown in Fig. 2, springs 98 are tightly compressed. As the plungers 44 and casting 76 travel downward the spings 98 expand until after said plungers engage the tops of the fioors 41,` which, during this movement, are held in their raised position, as seen in Fig. 4. Further downward movement ofthe casting 76 causes p lungers 44 and floors 41 to travel simultaneously 'downward until said floors reach the lower end of their stroke, as seen in Fig. 5, when the bosses 63 of said floors rest upon the compression springs 61. During the downward travel of these fioors the springs 98 are completely expanded, so that when the blocks 44 are released said springsdo not tend to throw the unfinished box out of the form box. Further downward movement of casting 76 disengages springs 98 from collars 99 and causes folders-56 and 57 to operate in a manner now to be explained.

On the ends of shafts 54 and 55, facing each other, are rigidly secured sprocket wheels 100 and 101, and on the other ends of said shafts are secured collars 102 and 103 which prevent said shafts from sliding in their bearings. Over said sprocket wheels run chains 104 and 105 which pass freely through the table top 26 and the supporting casting 25. The ends of' these chains most remote from each other are of considerable length and are attached to long tension coil springs 106 and 107 which, in turn, are secured to the standard, 2 3. The

other ends of these chains are fastened to eye-bolts 108 and 109 which pass through a head 110 which surrounds and slides freely on standard 23, and are held in place on it by lock nuts 111, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. Head 110 is further provided with two downwardly-projecting rods 112 and 113 rigidly securedto it, which pass through the spokes 77 and 79on lcasting 76 and allow said casting to slide thereon. Rods v112 and 113 are threaded at their lower end and are provided with lock'nuts 114 and 115. the casting 76 travels downward to engage the nuts 114 and 115- head 110 willalso be drawn downward and the sprocket wheels 100 and 101 rotated to cause folders 56 and 57 to perform the functions illustrated in Figs. 11, 12 and 13. It is of vital importance that all of the folding fingers 56 and 57 reach their position as shown in Fig. 13 simultaneously, so as to squeeze the eni ready It hence becomes evident that whenveloped folds of paper equally tight. This is easily accomplished by adjusting the lock nuts 111 on eye-bolts 108 so that the pressure transmitted from the foot lever shall be evenly distributed to the four folders. It will be noted from Fig. 5 that the spokes 77 and 79 do not engage nuts 114 and 115 until blocks 44 have reached the end of their downward stroke and are about to be released, lock nuts 114 and 115 serving to time the motion accurately.

Upon releasing the lever 85 casting 76 is caused to ascend, due to the spring 82, and the fingers 56 and 57 are disengaged from the set-up paper box by retraction springs 106. When the springs 98 again engage collars 99 the iioors 41 are raised and the set-up boxes ejected from the chamber of the form boxes 29 and 30. When casting 76 reaches its upper position the hook catch 91 again engages the aperture and the machine is to form a new set of boxes. I claim:

1. A machine for forming paper boxes comprising a table having at opposite ends extended supports for two sets of blanks, two sets of box-forming mechanisms supported b v and extending through said table intermediate the blank-supporting portions` thereof, means associated with each mechanism for receiving and positioning a blank from each of said blanks upon each of said mechanisms, and means for simultaneously operating the box-forming mechanisms to form the interior body or receiving receptacle of the box and the exterior cover member thereof.

2. A machine for forming paper boxes comprising a form box, means for holding a blank positioned above said form box, and a plunger adapted to force said blank into said form box, said form box being provided with corner extensions for preliminarily engaging and turnin inward corner ears connected with side aps of` the blank. as the plunger is operated, and means for engaging and turning down thev end portions of the blank over said side iaps.

3. A machine for forming paper boxes comprising a form box havingblank-engaging edges in a common plane, corner extension plates rising above said plane, means for holding a blank positioned above said f edges of its four walls extending in a common lane, a floor yieldingly supported Ain said orm box in the plane of said'edges, means for holding a blank positioned over said floor and the edges of the form box, means coperating with the floor for gripping a portion of the blank corresponding in size to the floor and moving the same with the floor into'the form box so` that said edges willl operate to turn side portions of the blankupward at right angles to said gripped portion and means for turning down the end portions of the blank. y

5. A- machine for forming paper boxes comprising a form box having its four edges in a common plane, upwardly-extending members adjacent the corners of said box, a floor slidable in said form box and normally positioned in the plane of said edges, means for holding a blank positioned upon said mem-bers, a plunger adapted to engage the blank and hold the same in contact with the floor, means to move the plunger and floor through the box so that the edges and projecting members will operate to turn side and corner portions of the blank into positions at right angles to the gripped portion and means for turning down the end portions of the blank.

6. A machine for forming paper boxes comprising a form box having a movable floor, means for holding a blank above said form box and floor, means for forcing the blank into the box against the iioor` and for simultaneously moving the floor into a lowered position, means for holding the floor in such lowered position during further operation upon the blank, means for turning down the end portions of the blank and means thereafter for restoring the floor to initial position and thereby ejecting the formed box.

7. A machine for forming paper boxes comprising a form box, means for holding a blank positioned above the form box, means for operating' upon the blank to force the same into the form box and thereby turn up iiaps on four sides of the blank, and a pair of oscillating folders adapted to engage protruding portions of some of said aps and' turn them over within the box for completing the same, said folders being fitted With lips extending at right angles to the body thereof for producing a narrow old of said lap against the bottom of the 8. A machine for forming paper boxes com rising a form box, a fioor plate slidable in t e form box, a spring-held plunger operative in the form box in conjunction with ed to enter and operate within the form box. a treadle, means operated by said treadle for actuating the plunger and the folders in succession, and means for releasing the plunbla-nk into said chamber and upon the floor so that 'laps ofthe blank are turned upwardly with their Vedges in a common plane above the edges of the -chamber and other flaps extend above said plane, and oscillating folders constructed and arranged to engage\with said extended flaps to fold the same over said i'lap edges falling in a common plane and into the box, said folders at the same time operative to force the formed box into the chamber and slide the floor therewith.

10. A machine for foming paper boxes comprising a four-Walled chamber having a floor slidable therein, means for forcing a blank into said chamber and upon the floor so that vflaps 'of the blank are turned upwardly with their edges in a common plane above the edges of the chamber and other laps extend above said plane, oscillating folders constructed and arranged to engage with said extended flaps t0 fold the same over said iiap edges falling in a common plane and mto the box` said folders at the same time operative to force the formed box l into the chamber and slide the floor therewith, and means to restore the Hoor to initial position and therebv eject the formed box.

11. A machine for forming paper boxes comprising a four-walled chamber having a floor slidable therein, a four-walled plunger and means for forcing it into said chamber and upon the floor so that flaps of the blank are turned upwardly with their edges `inV a common plane and other aps extend above said plane, means for restoring the plunger to initial position where walls of the same are engaged by said extended flaps. and folder members constructed and arranged to engage with said extended flaps below the restored plunger, causing portions of the flaps to be folded backwardly while other portions are folded inwardly into the box and the backwardly-folded portions are turned upon the bottom of the box.

12. A machine for forming paper boxes comprising a form box, means for operating upon a blank to force the same into the form box and thereby turn up iaps on four sides of the blank, a pair of shafts and a sprocket wheel for each shaft` sprocket chains running over said wheels springheld at one end and connected with an operating member at the other end. folder said floor plate and a pair of folders adaptmembers carried by the shafts, and means to move the operating member and the shafts to cause the folder members to engage ome of said flaps and fold them into the 13. A machine for forming paper boxes comprising a form box, a spring-held floor slidable therein, a complemental plunger adapted to force a blank against the oor and into the form box and thereby turn up flaps on four sides of the blank, said plunger being spring-held in normal inoperative position, a pair of folder members for operating upon two of said flaps to complete the box, an operating member for said folders, a shaft carrying each of said folders, and a sprocket wheel on each shaft, sprocket' chalns' running over said wheels spring-held at one end and connected with the operating member at the other end, a foot-operated slide, means operated by the slide for operating and releasing the plunger and thereafter for engaging and operating the folder-operating member.

14. A machine for forming paper boxes comprising a form box, a spring-held floor slidable therein, a complemental plunger adapted to force a blank a ainst the floor and into the form box an thereby turn up flaps on four sides of the blank, said plunger being spring-held in normal inoperative position, a pair of folder members for operating` upon two of said aps to complete the box, an operating member for said folders, a foot-operated slide, and means operated by the slide for operating and releasing the plunger and thereafter for engaging and operating the foot-operated member.

15. A machine for forming paper boxes comprising a form box, a spring-held ioor slidable therein, a complemental plunger adapted to force a blank against the floor and into the form box and thereby turn up flaps on four sides of the blank, said plunger being spring-held in normal inoperative po# sition, a pair of folder members for operating upon two of said flaps to complete the box, a slide, and means operated by the slide for operating and releasing the plunger and thereafter for operating the folders.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

EDWARD E. JOHNSON. 

